Now Reading: Today in India: 16 September 2026
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Today in India: 16 September 2026
Adidas cuts 350 jobs in Gurgaon tech hub. UPI merchant fee of 0.4% from October 15 draws political fire. All 10 convicts sentenced to death for 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack.
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Adidas lays off 350 staff at Gurgaon tech hub
Adidas has laid off about 350 employees, nearly half of its 700-strong India Technology Hub in Gurgaon. Affected roles include software engineers, data scientists and data engineers. Staff were told during a town hall on September 15. One group received exit letters the same day, the other has been asked to work until December 15 to complete handovers or find other roles within Adidas.
5 sources, 5 neutral
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Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi among 18 new CBFC members
The government has reconstituted the Central Board of Film Certification with 18 new members, including actors Preity Zinta, Pankaj Tripathi, Suniel Shetty and Prosenjit Chatterjee. The notification was issued on September 16 under the Cinematograph Act, 1952. The new board will serve a three-year term with immediate effect. This is the first reconstitution of the CBFC since 2017.
3 sources, 3 neutral
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Government rules out UPI MDR rethink, traders push cash
The government has ruled out any rethink on the 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate on UPI merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15. The Finance Ministry called it an independent step to make UPI self-sustaining. Small merchants collecting up to Rs 1 lakh monthly remain exempt, covering 96% of transactions. Traders' associations, including the Kamla Nagar Market Association, said they will push for cash payments to avoid the charge.
4 sources, 2 pro-government, 1 government-critical, 1 neutral
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Rahul Gandhi demands UPI charge rollback, attacks Modi on Trump
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday demanded an immediate rollback of the fee on UPI transactions, accusing PM Narendra Modi of 'prostrating' before US President Donald Trump. In a video posted on X, Gandhi called the levy a 'UPI tax' and urged Modi to 'have a spine'. The government introduced a 0.4% MDR on UPI merchant transfers above Rs 2,000 from October 15, keeping person-to-person and small payments free.
6 sources, 1 pro-government, 3 neutral, 2 sensationalist
More from today
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India rejects Pakistan-China boundary commission as illegal
India on Wednesday rejected the so-called Pakistan-China Boundary Joint Commission as legally baseless. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said there is no recognised boundary between Pakistan and China and such a commission cannot affect India's sovereignty over Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. He reiterated that India has never accepted the 1963 China-Pakistan Boundary Agreement, calling it illegal and invalid.
4 sources, 4 neutral
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Adhikari says Bhaipo gang spent Rs 2 crore on aide murder
West Bengal CM Suvendu Adhikari has alleged that the 'Bhaipo gang', followers of TMC MP Abhishek Banerjee, arranged Rs 2 crore for the murder of his personal assistant Chandranath Rath. Adhikari made the claim while accompanying Rath's mother to file her nomination as the BJP candidate for the Nandigram bypoll. He said the CBI has arrested and charge-sheeted 11 suspects, including brothers Sagar and Sahib Sonkar.
4 sources, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral, 1 sensationalist
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IPL 2027 player auction set to return to India
IPL chairman Arun Dhumal has said the 2027 players' auction will likely be held in India after three editions overseas in Dubai, Jeddah and Abu Dhabi. Dhumal, set to be re-elected at the BCCI AGM on September 18, told PTI the league wants to bring the event back home but venue availability during the heavy marriage season remains a hurdle. A host city will be decided later.
4 sources, 4 neutral
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All 10 sentenced to death for 2013 Jhiram Valley attack
A special NIA court in Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, on Wednesday sentenced all 10 convicts to death for the May 25, 2013 Jhiram Valley Maoist attack that killed 29 people. The convicts, including two women, were found guilty on September 5. The attack targeted the Congress party's Parivartan Rally, wiping out much of the state's top Congress leadership, including state chief Nand Kumar Patel and former Leader of Opposition Mahendra Karma.
5 sources, 5 neutral
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India bans Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network under UAPA
The Union home ministry on Wednesday declared the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Home Minister Amit Shah said the move follows PM Modi's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. The gazette notification added SBN as the 46th entry to the UAPA's First Schedule. The government alleges SBN is backed by Pakistan's ISI and involved in cross-border smuggling and radicalising youth.
5 sources, 5 neutral
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Mahua Moitra says BJP workers pelted eggs on her in Nadia
Trinamool Congress MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday alleged that BJP workers pelted eggs at her during a visit to Tehatta in West Bengal's Nadia district. Moitra shared a video on X showing broken eggshells on her face and claimed that seven to 10 BJP workers, including local office bearers, threw eggs at her despite her having informed the police in advance. She invoked Supreme Court Justice Dipankar Datta, who had earlier told her not to fear eggs when freedom fighters faced bullets.
5 sources, 1 government-critical, 4 neutral
Useful today
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Niti VC defends UPI fee, Congress calls it Modi Tax
The government has introduced a 0.4% Merchant Discount Rate on UPI person-to-merchant payments above Rs 2,000 from October 15. NITI Aayog vice chairman Ashok Kumar Lahiri defended the move, comparing it to cheque book fees. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi called it a 'Modi Tax'. The finance ministry rejected claims of foreign influence. A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the levy.
4 sources, 1 pro-government, 2 government-critical, 1 sensationalist
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UPI fee on payments above Rs 2,000 from October 15
The government will levy a 0.4% MDR on UPI person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15, ending six years of a zero-fee network for merchants. Person-to-person transfers and transactions up to Rs 2,000 remain free. For fuel, telecom, insurance, railways and agricultural inputs, a flat Rs 5 MDR applies. The charge is capped at Rs 300 for transactions of Rs 75,000 or more.
4 sources, 1 pro-government, 1 government-critical, 2 neutral
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0.4% UPI MDR from Oct 15, small transactions exempt
The government has introduced a 0.4% MDR on UPI person-to-merchant transactions above Rs 2,000 from October 15. The charge is paid by merchants, capped at Rs 300 per transaction. Consumers continue to pay nothing. Transactions below Rs 2,000, person-to-person payments, and small merchants collecting up to Rs 1 lakh a month via QR are exempt, covering over 95% of merchant transactions by volume, according to NPCI.
7 sources, 2 government-critical, 5 neutral
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0.4% UPI merchant fee from Oct 15, consumers spared
The government will levy a 0.4% MDR on UPI payments above Rs 2,000 made to merchants from October 15. The fee is capped at Rs 300 per transaction and is paid by merchants. Person-to-person transfers and UPI AutoPay recurring payments remain free. Small merchants receiving up to Rs 1 lakh monthly are exempt. Opposition MPs called the move 'anti-people' in a parliamentary panel meeting.
7 sources, 1 government-critical, 6 neutral
The closing thought
The UPI MDR decision has turned into a political battleground, with Congress alleging foreign pressure and the government insisting on self-sufficiency. The death sentences for the Jhiram Valley attack bring a measure of closure to a massacre that changed Chhattisgarh's political landscape. Adidas's layoffs in Gurgaon reflect a global restructuring that has hit India's tech workforce. The CBFC reconstitution and the Shahzad Bhatti Network ban are administrative moves with political undertones. Watch how the Supreme Court handles the PIL against the UPI fee, and whether the Nandigram bypoll becomes a flashpoint over the murder allegation.
This digest is refreshed through the day at indianopinion.org/today.
This digest was compiled and written by AI from the day’s Indian Opinion coverage.
